CategoryReviews
Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
3,463 stories
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
I first saw famed Canadian auteur Guy Maddin’s debut feature Tales from the Gimli Hospital at the San Francisco International Film Festival when the film was on the festival circuit in 1988, and I was instantly captivated by its old-fashioned style, gripping visuals, and decidedly offbeat sense of humor. I have been an admirer of Maddin’s work ever since, and this new Tales from the Gimli Hospital Redux 4K version supported by Telefilm’s restoration program, with some additional material incorporated, took me back to that initial viewing experience, doing so with marvelous visual and audio clarity. It is impossible to place Tales from the Gimli Hospital Redux neatly into one or two genres, as the film incorporates several, but suffice it to say that elements of horror, thriller, dark comedy, absurdist comedy, and other genres abound. Looking for all the world like a lost black-and-white early talking film unearthed, Tales from the Gimli Hospital Redux, shot on 16mm, uses light
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Lincoln Maazel, an actor cum philosopher, speaks to us about the hell of old age and elder abuse while telling us our cast is made up of some of the most depressing folks one could muster, and we too will suffer the same fate! And were off to the fright film races boils n’ ghouls… Next, a bloody and exhausted Maazel sits in a white room and speaks to a cheerful version of himself whom he warns not to leave the confines of the room. Mirthful Maazel ignores that edict post-fucking-haste and exits to a bustling amusement park where the elderly are preoccupied with pawning their belongings to enter the park. Things get worse inside the gate as the young mill about and peck away at everything the elderly patrons own in ghoulish fashion leaving their victims with nothing… including their very existence! Coming between his seminal walking dead masterpieces 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, and 1978’s Dawn of
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Danny (Joseph Almani) is a policeman that spends most of his time poundin’ beers and workin’ on muscle cars with his grizzled uncle, Bill (the legendary Michael Paré of Eddie and the Cruisers and Streets of Fire)… when he isn’t busy having horrendous, monster-filled nightmares or fucking up his relationship with his girlfriend Gwen (Karlee Eldridge) six ways to Sunday. Fate however has more in store for Danny as an earthquake rocks the small desert town he calls home… an earthquake that releases toxic slugs that really take a shine to biting the townsfolk willy-nilly… including easy-breezy Bill! Anyhow, one additional quake later and Danny finds himself trapped under a muscle car with a very dead Bill and a very alive, and very toothy, mutated slug… which soon puts the bite on our hero which makes his already questionable chances of survival dip even lower! Will Danny be able to fend off those wicked worms and the haunting hallucinations their
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Somewhere in the late 1970’s, a man murders his demon possessed lady pal, and said evil force enters a necklace… he then proceeds to bury her under the floor of the house they shared. Enter Shinji: (Shinichi Fukazawa… a name you’ll be hearing a lot in this here revoltin’ review as he wrote, directed, produced, starred, and provided special effects for the picture) the now adult son of the aforementioned man (also played by Fukazawa) who travels to his pappy’s ol’ dreaded domicile along with his spritely pal Mika (Masaaki Kai), a journalist investigating haunted houses, as it fits the bill nicely for her research. Along for the ride is a stoic Medium (Asako Nosaka) who immediately senses that the preternatural pad is balls deep in EvilSpiritville and it isn’t long before he ingests the noxious necklace and becomes host to the wicked wraith that haunts the locale! This doesn’t sit well with Shinji who goes full-on Ash Williams on
Continue reading →
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MoviesReviews
Director Samantha Aldana’s Shapeless is a dark drama with body horror elements that finds jazz singer Ivy (Kelly Murtagh, who co-wrote the film with Bryce Parsons-Tweston) struggling in New Orleans both to make it with her band and, privately, with an eating disorder that manifests itself in ghastly wounds and with extra body parts cropping up where they shouldn’t be. Whether the disturbing traumas are real or in Ivy’s mind is ambiguous, but the psychological scars the film treads in are real. Shapeless is obviously a very personal work for Murtagh, and her performance is outstanding. Ivy goes through many painful emotions and dark nights of the soul, hiding her disorder and insecurities from those close to her, and Murtagh nails every nuance splendidly. The supporting cast members all give solid turns, and Aldana wraps the proceedings in visuals that range between dreamy and surreal, with sharp cinematography from Natalie Kingston and eerie sound design from Evan M. Flory blended
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesParanormalReviews
Panthera Britannia One of the most intriguing, enduring, and perhaps possible cryptozoological mysteries is the idea that alien big cats may be roaming the British countryside. Sightings and photos — naturally, the latter are often unclear or lack size perspective — are plentiful, and witnesses usually have little to profit from by reporting what they have seen. Writer/director Matt Everett’s documentary Panthera Britannia is a slick, impressively crafted look into the history of cryptid felidae, exploring sightings from the reign of King Henry VIII to the present day. The skull of the Beast of Bodmin Moor, captured by British soldiers in the 1790s and imprisoned in a jail until it died, provides physical evidence of the possibility of ABCs, and the Dangerous Wild Animal Act of the 1970s saw owners letting their exotic pets loose in the wild. Professionals ranging from animal behaviorists to genetic anthropologists to other wildlife experts are interviewed, and several different, intelligent viewpoints for and against
Continue reading →
ProductReviews
A while ago I had the privilege of checking out some interesting products inspired by nature from COPPERTIST.WU, a jewelry company that makes unique accessories and items. Again I have to give a big thanks to Coppertist.Wu for coming back to show some more of the unique items they have in their store now along with more products hitting their shelves. First up is the Brass Viper Bottle Opener, you read that right! This danger noodle wants to not only be your drinking buddy but a unique addition to your bar or centerpiece of a party with striking details that will make others do a triple take thinking your party just got crashed while in reality, they’re here to spread joy! This little dude is also hefty enough that if you don’t want to use it to open bottles, you can give it a job holding papers on your table, or be put on display, either way, this viper will
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
To be 100% honest, when I sat down to watch The Retaliators, I wasn’t expecting much. Why? Because damn near every horror movie packed with stars is usually overcompensating for a shit script. Guys, I was so wrong about this movie. But let’s start at the beginning, The Retaliators has not one, not two, but three directors, Samuel Gonzalez Jr, Michael Lombardi, and Bridget Smith. It was written by Darren Geare and Jeff Allen Geare. It’s amazing that the movie is so seamless with that many cooks in the kitchen, if you know what I mean. The cast for the film is massive and features both well-known actors such as Michael Lombardi, Marc Menchaca Marc Menchaca, Joseph Gatt, and Katie Kelly, among others, and musicians in acting roles such as Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe), Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch), and Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach). Folks, let me tell you, the soundtrack is worth watching the movie for all on
Continue reading →
MoviesReviewsThriller
After his boss sends him out to record better sound effects for the upcoming slasher-epic Co-ed Frenzy, sound technician Jack Terry (John Travolta) heads to a local park to record where he witnesses a car careen off the road into a nearby body of water. Being a stand-up kinda guy, Jack dives in and rescues Sally (Robocop‘s Nancy Allen) whom he quickly learns was an escort out on a fling with prominent politician Governor George McRyan, who died in the accident by the by, and the powers that be are none to happy that anyone knows about Sally and the Gov’s sexcipades. Even though he vows to never mention Sally in public after being semi-strong armed, Jack begins investigating the incident via the audio he recorded that fateful night… audio that contains a distinct gunshot before the Governor’s tire blows out leading to the accident. Believing an assassination attempt took place, Jack edits together stills taken from a recording filmed
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesParanormalReviews
With Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918 raging, and the first World War winding down, our dude Tomás (Viktor Klem), a post-mortem photographer by trade, has plenty of stiffs to keep business booming as he laboriously poses those corpses and snaps shots for their relatives to have as keepsakes of their loved ones. Why is Tommy so balls deep in the corpse biz (not literally, though in this column would it really come as a surprise if he was?)? Because he nearly was one himself as he was technically dead, but an ethereal young girl revives his ass on the battlefield where he is rescued from a gaggle of extinct soldiers. After becoming something of a sideshow exhibit due to his experiences while touring with a travelling carnival (nothing good ever comes of those fucking things) he eventually comes in contact with a 10 year-old girl named Anna (Fruzsina Hais), who asks our hero to come and photograph the many corpses
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
I first saw famed Canadian auteur Guy Maddin’s debut feature Tales from the Gimli Hospital at the San Francisco International Film Festival when the film was on the festival circuit in 1988, and I was instantly captivated by its old-fashioned style, gripping visuals, and decidedly offbeat sense of humor. I have been an admirer of Maddin’s work ever since, and this new Tales from the Gimli Hospital Redux 4K version supported by Telefilm’s restoration program, with some additional material incorporated, took me back to that initial viewing experience, doing so with marvelous visual and audio clarity. It is impossible to place Tales from the Gimli Hospital Redux neatly into one or two genres, as the film incorporates several, but suffice it to say that elements of horror, thriller, dark comedy, absurdist comedy, and other genres abound. Looking for all the world like a lost black-and-white early talking film unearthed, Tales from the Gimli Hospital Redux, shot on 16mm, uses light
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Lincoln Maazel, an actor cum philosopher, speaks to us about the hell of old age and elder abuse while telling us our cast is made up of some of the most depressing folks one could muster, and we too will suffer the same fate! And were off to the fright film races boils n’ ghouls… Next, a bloody and exhausted Maazel sits in a white room and speaks to a cheerful version of himself whom he warns not to leave the confines of the room. Mirthful Maazel ignores that edict post-fucking-haste and exits to a bustling amusement park where the elderly are preoccupied with pawning their belongings to enter the park. Things get worse inside the gate as the young mill about and peck away at everything the elderly patrons own in ghoulish fashion leaving their victims with nothing… including their very existence! Coming between his seminal walking dead masterpieces 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, and 1978’s Dawn of
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Danny (Joseph Almani) is a policeman that spends most of his time poundin’ beers and workin’ on muscle cars with his grizzled uncle, Bill (the legendary Michael Paré of Eddie and the Cruisers and Streets of Fire)… when he isn’t busy having horrendous, monster-filled nightmares or fucking up his relationship with his girlfriend Gwen (Karlee Eldridge) six ways to Sunday. Fate however has more in store for Danny as an earthquake rocks the small desert town he calls home… an earthquake that releases toxic slugs that really take a shine to biting the townsfolk willy-nilly… including easy-breezy Bill! Anyhow, one additional quake later and Danny finds himself trapped under a muscle car with a very dead Bill and a very alive, and very toothy, mutated slug… which soon puts the bite on our hero which makes his already questionable chances of survival dip even lower! Will Danny be able to fend off those wicked worms and the haunting hallucinations their
Continue reading →
ForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Somewhere in the late 1970’s, a man murders his demon possessed lady pal, and said evil force enters a necklace… he then proceeds to bury her under the floor of the house they shared. Enter Shinji: (Shinichi Fukazawa… a name you’ll be hearing a lot in this here revoltin’ review as he wrote, directed, produced, starred, and provided special effects for the picture) the now adult son of the aforementioned man (also played by Fukazawa) who travels to his pappy’s ol’ dreaded domicile along with his spritely pal Mika (Masaaki Kai), a journalist investigating haunted houses, as it fits the bill nicely for her research. Along for the ride is a stoic Medium (Asako Nosaka) who immediately senses that the preternatural pad is balls deep in EvilSpiritville and it isn’t long before he ingests the noxious necklace and becomes host to the wicked wraith that haunts the locale! This doesn’t sit well with Shinji who goes full-on Ash Williams on
Continue reading →
MoviesReviews
Director Samantha Aldana’s Shapeless is a dark drama with body horror elements that finds jazz singer Ivy (Kelly Murtagh, who co-wrote the film with Bryce Parsons-Tweston) struggling in New Orleans both to make it with her band and, privately, with an eating disorder that manifests itself in ghastly wounds and with extra body parts cropping up where they shouldn’t be. Whether the disturbing traumas are real or in Ivy’s mind is ambiguous, but the psychological scars the film treads in are real. Shapeless is obviously a very personal work for Murtagh, and her performance is outstanding. Ivy goes through many painful emotions and dark nights of the soul, hiding her disorder and insecurities from those close to her, and Murtagh nails every nuance splendidly. The supporting cast members all give solid turns, and Aldana wraps the proceedings in visuals that range between dreamy and surreal, with sharp cinematography from Natalie Kingston and eerie sound design from Evan M. Flory blended
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesParanormalReviews
Panthera Britannia One of the most intriguing, enduring, and perhaps possible cryptozoological mysteries is the idea that alien big cats may be roaming the British countryside. Sightings and photos — naturally, the latter are often unclear or lack size perspective — are plentiful, and witnesses usually have little to profit from by reporting what they have seen. Writer/director Matt Everett’s documentary Panthera Britannia is a slick, impressively crafted look into the history of cryptid felidae, exploring sightings from the reign of King Henry VIII to the present day. The skull of the Beast of Bodmin Moor, captured by British soldiers in the 1790s and imprisoned in a jail until it died, provides physical evidence of the possibility of ABCs, and the Dangerous Wild Animal Act of the 1970s saw owners letting their exotic pets loose in the wild. Professionals ranging from animal behaviorists to genetic anthropologists to other wildlife experts are interviewed, and several different, intelligent viewpoints for and against
Continue reading →
ProductReviews
A while ago I had the privilege of checking out some interesting products inspired by nature from COPPERTIST.WU, a jewelry company that makes unique accessories and items. Again I have to give a big thanks to Coppertist.Wu for coming back to show some more of the unique items they have in their store now along with more products hitting their shelves. First up is the Brass Viper Bottle Opener, you read that right! This danger noodle wants to not only be your drinking buddy but a unique addition to your bar or centerpiece of a party with striking details that will make others do a triple take thinking your party just got crashed while in reality, they’re here to spread joy! This little dude is also hefty enough that if you don’t want to use it to open bottles, you can give it a job holding papers on your table, or be put on display, either way, this viper will
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
To be 100% honest, when I sat down to watch The Retaliators, I wasn’t expecting much. Why? Because damn near every horror movie packed with stars is usually overcompensating for a shit script. Guys, I was so wrong about this movie. But let’s start at the beginning, The Retaliators has not one, not two, but three directors, Samuel Gonzalez Jr, Michael Lombardi, and Bridget Smith. It was written by Darren Geare and Jeff Allen Geare. It’s amazing that the movie is so seamless with that many cooks in the kitchen, if you know what I mean. The cast for the film is massive and features both well-known actors such as Michael Lombardi, Marc Menchaca Marc Menchaca, Joseph Gatt, and Katie Kelly, among others, and musicians in acting roles such as Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe), Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch), and Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach). Folks, let me tell you, the soundtrack is worth watching the movie for all on
Continue reading →
MoviesReviewsThriller
After his boss sends him out to record better sound effects for the upcoming slasher-epic Co-ed Frenzy, sound technician Jack Terry (John Travolta) heads to a local park to record where he witnesses a car careen off the road into a nearby body of water. Being a stand-up kinda guy, Jack dives in and rescues Sally (Robocop‘s Nancy Allen) whom he quickly learns was an escort out on a fling with prominent politician Governor George McRyan, who died in the accident by the by, and the powers that be are none to happy that anyone knows about Sally and the Gov’s sexcipades. Even though he vows to never mention Sally in public after being semi-strong armed, Jack begins investigating the incident via the audio he recorded that fateful night… audio that contains a distinct gunshot before the Governor’s tire blows out leading to the accident. Believing an assassination attempt took place, Jack edits together stills taken from a recording filmed
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesParanormalReviews
With Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918 raging, and the first World War winding down, our dude Tomás (Viktor Klem), a post-mortem photographer by trade, has plenty of stiffs to keep business booming as he laboriously poses those corpses and snaps shots for their relatives to have as keepsakes of their loved ones. Why is Tommy so balls deep in the corpse biz (not literally, though in this column would it really come as a surprise if he was?)? Because he nearly was one himself as he was technically dead, but an ethereal young girl revives his ass on the battlefield where he is rescued from a gaggle of extinct soldiers. After becoming something of a sideshow exhibit due to his experiences while touring with a travelling carnival (nothing good ever comes of those fucking things) he eventually comes in contact with a 10 year-old girl named Anna (Fruzsina Hais), who asks our hero to come and photograph the many corpses
Continue reading →
